Leslie's Top Five Favorite Products

    Here at The Doodlebug, we have a great variety of products to fill your crafting needs! Though all of the products we have in our store are truly wonderful, some of our staff have a few favorites of their own. Here are Leslie's!

Leslie's Top 5 Products 

    I know Doodlebug is a crafting store, but I wanna put a small reminder out there that we also have art products as well! It's a smaller selection of what we have, but these can always be used for crafting too! Some of these products I do own myself and have used before. 

    First up is the Strathmore Drawing Pad! I have went through many sketchbooks through out the years, but Strathmore is my favorite brand when is comes to sketchbooks! Since this is a drawing pad, this is best used with only dry mediums such as graphite, charcoal, and colored pencils (if you are okay with a little texture in your drawing!). Pens are okay too, but keep in mind that liquid mediums can tear up the paper if used to much, and will probably bleed through! The paper and the paper's texture is just perfect for dry mediums. I definitely recommend this drawing pad! 

     Next up is the Studio 71 Sketching Pencils! Graphite (pencils) is my favorite type of medium when I draw traditionally. The pack comes with 12 sketching pencils that start with 5H to 6B. So when a pencil ends with H is means the degree of  "hardness" of the pencil. When it ends with a B it means the degree of "blackness" of the pencil. So a 5H swatches to a lighter shade, while a 6B swatches to a darker shade. If you ever wondered why there was a "2B" on every standardized pencil now you know why! Plus, this pack would be great with the Strathmore Drawing Pad! 

    Next is the Prismacolor Colored Pencils! In packs like this they always come in a set of 12 and they come in certain shades of color. This pack specifically is the soft core colored pencils by Morgan Davidson who is a great artist!  The colors here are the same kind of colors you would get in a normal pack of 12 from Prismacolor, but what makes this pack different is that the colors come a little bit "softer". On the picture it shows all the colors being used as an example, which is great! Prismacolor is one of my favorite brands for colored pencils. I own plenty! 

    Next up is a tool I'm pretty sure every artist has in they're own collection, I know I do. Pencil Blending Stumps by Spectrum Noir! If you are using dry mediums and your wanting what your working on to look a little more airbrushed this is the perfect tool to use. I know there was a time I wanted everything I created to look blended with no texture, and these do the trick! These are best used with pencil (graphite) for a lot softer touch, and if your wanting to smudge with your colored pencils here and there these are great to use too. 

    Last but not least, this is one of my favorite products of all time! The Copic Ciao Markers! These markers are VERY popular in the art community. Not only are they great for Illustration, they're pretty much great for anything like, wood, leather, fabric, plastics, and more! The marker has two sides, a medium broad tip, and a brush like tip on the other end. These markers are alcohol-based markers, but don't worry they don't smell bad! They have a very low odor. These markers don't fade over time, and are water resistant! Plus, they come in a variety of colors! 

   

Leslie's Intro Post

 

   Hello Everyone!

          My name is Leslie Villa, and I am so excited to be apart of the Doodlebug Family! So far I have really enjoyed my time here and definitely have felt welcomed by all of you. So, I would like to take the time to introduce myself! (I'm a little quiet when you first meet me so a post about myself is a good idea)

    I am 22 years old, born on July 29th (my birthday is coming up pretty soon lol 😏) in Long Beach, California, though I grew up in Dubois County. I currently live with my boyfriend, Killian, and my 13 yr old dog Bruno, here in Jasper. I like spending my time with them, even when we are doing absolutely nothing.  

(A cute picture of Bruno)

(A picture of Killian and I on my High School Graduation)

    

  

    What I like to do in my spare time is draw! My favorite thing to draw is portraits! I draw pretty much every day, and I didn't start to get into art until I was in middle school, though I always had a love for it since I was little. As of right now, I do my artwork digitally on my iPad. I used to only stick to traditional mediums, but I came to realize that drawing digitally is easier...but I still love drawing traditionally from time to time. I hope to make a comic series one day since it's something I have always wanted to do! 

(One of my favorite portraits I did last year!)

 

(This was a fun commission I did last year) 

        Small Fun Facts...

• Favorite Color: Red 
• Favorite Animal : Elephants! (They bring good luck!)
• Zodiac Sign : Leo 🦁
• Favorite Food : Pizza 
• Favorite Place: My House. 

    And that's pretty much it! I thank all of you have been kind to me even though I have only been here for a few weeks! I cannot wait to see what the future brings being here at the Doodlebug! 

  

Photo Play Explosion Box How To...

Introducing the new Maker's Series Explosion Box kit from Photo Play! Available in black or white, this handy kit takes all the measuring and guesswork out of creating an explosion box so you can get on with the fun part of decorating and embellishing it! 

We just placed our order for them, so check out the great video that Amy Sonnemann has created and let us know if we can hold one or two for you!

The video is great and takes you step-by-step through the EASE assembly process. Now available at your favorite scrapbook retailer. Click on image below to watch!

Pre-order links: 

Black Explosion Box https://bit.ly/3xL4O20 

White Explosion Box https://bit.ly/3Nla9Dh 

Catherine Pooler Inks Color Combo Guide

 Ever have trouble picking the perfect ink colors for a card or project? Do you spend more time fretting over colors than actually creating?

If you answered yes...you might want to check out this color guide from Catherine Pooler Inks! They are our "Ink of Choice" here at The Doodlebug. We LOVE the color selection, we LOVE the foam pads, we LOVE how rich they stamp!

DOWN LOAD THE GUIDE HERE!

SHOP all the CP Colors we have in stock at the link below! 

***Don't see a color you want- PLEASE, just let us know and we will add it to our next order for you!

⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇

IN STOCK Catherine Pooler Inks

FREE Minibook Download from Photoplay

  Hi friends!

I hope you are having a GREAT WEEK! I'm super excited to share this adorable, FREE project with you all!  Our friends over at Photoplay have shared the complete set of instructions to this precious mini album featuring their cute little frogs Fern and Willard! 

If you haven't snagged up this line...get it HERE in our online store!

AND...HERE is the link to the Blank Album!

But, how cute is this little album!  I love the bright colors and patterns and the general feeling of happiness that I am getting from this project!  

To get the full set of free instructions, follow this link right here!

I can't wait to see these cute minis that you all make! 

ENJOY!

Hannah

EXCLUSIVE Ginger Ropp Virtual Class

 We have worked with top 5 YouTube blogger Ginger Ropp from My Sisters Scrapper to create an EXCLUSIVE gatefold folio album using Echo Park’s I Love Spring collection that you can only purchase from a handful of independent papercraft stores! We are so excited and pleased to tell you that the project can be viewed on Ginger’s YouTube channel, My Sisters Scrapper. Look for the Echo Park I Love Spring Gatefold Folio video. The class will be held ONLINE, so anyone, anywhere can participate with us!

You may now order your kit (first come, first serve…kits are limited!) from us, so order TODAY so you do not miss out!

The class will be held ONLINE on March 10th at 8 PM! Can’t tune in at that specific time? That is totally fine! You will be given an access code that you can use to watch the video anytime you choose! Kits will be available for pick-up in early February and can also be shipped if you are not local to our store. Plus, we are treating this like it was an in-store class, so you get 10% off your purchase when you pick up your kit (or have it shipped)! So, we hope you will join us for this fun project. Kits can be ordered in-store, online, or over the phone at 812-482-4949. Don’t delay and miss out!

*Shipping is extra. We only charge actual shipping costs and ship via USPS Priority.

Travel Cropping ....or.......how I go to a crop or retreat

 

Scrapping “TO GO”

Hey there DoodleBLOG friends! (all you cats and kittens).  Shawn here (yes, again).  As promised, I want to talk a little bit about scrapping away from home.

·         For some of you, this may be the only place and time you get to scrap, and you may be old pros.  Maybe you will find something good here anyway – or maybe not. 

·         Some of you may have NEVER been to a crop or a retreat. Maybe you just never have the time or the extra cash, maybe they don’t work with your schedule or maybe the thought of packing your scrapbook room to take somewhere is just too daunting.  Maybe I can help!

·         Or if you already sometimes scrap at home and go to crops or retreats maybe you will find something here, too.

So here we go…..

1.      KNOW WHERE YOU ARE HEADED – What you pack – and how you pack it – will need to be defined as much by this as by anything else. Is it a small day crop where you will share an 8 foot table, or a retreat where you have a big table to yourself?

2.       KNOW HOW YOU ARE GETTING THERE - Are you driving there in a big SUV, a tiny convertible, or are you flying to the event?

3.       KNOW YOUR SCRAPPY SELF.  Think about your process.  What is your starting point for a project?  Do you start with photos and then pick all your supplies before you sit down to scrap?  Do you just make pages and worry about photos later, if ever?  Do you like to make pages using a single collection?  Do you scrap by color?

4.       KNOW YOUR “STASH”. Don’t get overwhelmed here.  Just get an overall idea of how much you have and how you have it stored.  Do you only keep a small stash and it’s already in a single tote (if so – who are you and how and why do you do this?? – also, if this is you CALL ME – you don’t need me, but maybe I need you!!) Do you have a GIANT ROOM full of supplies – like maybe a whole dining room – that just has stuff EVERYWHERE (see photos)…or are you somewhere in between – like a big stash but still pretty easily managed to move?

5.       MAKE A LIST. OK, I get it.  Not everyone loves lists (I do – like A LOT) but bear with me here.  This list will be worth it.  My OG crop packing list is now SEVERAL years old, and it is still evolving, but it changes a bit with every crop. This is both because I learn more about what works for me, but also because I go to lots of different events, and I work on loads of different projects. I divide my list by how I carry them so I know what goes in each tote/bag and also so I make sure I get all of the bags into the car. Make sure to include the non-scrappy necessities like clothes, meds, snacks (and for me maybe a little liquid refreshment)

6.       PRIORITIZE – I tend to be a “photos first” kind of scrapper, and I use black, white or kraft cardstock on just about every layout so pictures and cardstock are almost always the first things that go into my car. If you always use a Cricut or Kiwi Lane Templates or you stamp everything then those items will go first.

7.       KIT, if you can.  I’m going to be 100% honest – this is a great plan, and totally NOT something I do well.  It just does not work that well with my process most of the time. I do currently have an Iris container full of different papers that I plan to use in my wedding album, and a bag of embellishments set aside for that as well.  I suppose that may be a really large kit, but I’m not sure it counts. If you can kit, that is a great way to get ready to get ready. The more of your project you can put together in a kit, the easier it will be to sit down and scrap. 

8.       Remember the less important things, too.  If you will be gone for the weekend you probably need to take clothes. If it is a day crop, a sweater or chair cushion may be in order.

9.       Be prepared to be wrong.  I have gone to several crops with a plan like making Christmas cards or working on a specific group of photos only to find when I get there that I am not inspired enough to get that project done. Be sure to have a backup if you need it.

10.   Pack it up - and hope it all fits!!!

11.   Take extra if there’s room.  In addition to #9 above you may find that you REALLY want some letter stickers you didn’t think to put in your kit, or your table mate may want to borrow that 3 inch circle punch.

12.   The last bit of advice I would give is remember that just because you take it TO the crop does not mean you have to take it IN the building.  This is one I figured out pretty recently.  Take projects in as you want to work on them, and when you finish with one, go swap it for another. I have also been known to bring my pretty large Thicker collection and leave that in the back of my car, then I just go grab letters as I need them.

That’s it – Happy Travelling

And more important Happy Scrapping!